Unspoken Secret

Govad waved his hand, and the door opened. He smiled at the newcomer with familiar enthusiasm. It was a regular guest at the castle, but it had been a while since he had seen her.

"Ariel, I did not expect to see you early in the morning. To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked in his usual careless but enthusiastic manner.

Ariel also smiled as she entered the suite.

She looked at the two relaxed demi-angels with spread-out wings, looking like they had nothing to do. But again, she was in Phoenix in the morning, so she had no right to speak about being lazy in the morning.

She looked at the glasses on the table with a strange gaze.

"Am I interrupting something?" She teased lightly.

Govad laughed a little. "Always. But we can make room for you."

Samiel also smiled a little. He was not a social person, but he had become familiar with Ariel during his stay in the house.

Ariel's eyes moved over the glasses and could see that there was someone else involved in the party. However, she could not sense anyone's aura. They must have left before she arrived.

"It seems that you partied pretty hard." She said as she unfurled her patterned light blue wings and placed a package on the table.

"Just a couple of friends, trying out the old ambrosia," Govad answered. "We still have some left. You are welcome to it."

Samiel lifted a brow. "You are offering her leftovers? Where did the manners of the host of the millennium go?"

Govad shrugged lazily.

Ariel laughed. "Do not worry. I have brought something great for us. I stole it from my Ruler. It is straight from the cauldrons of the Dark Water witches."

"It has been a while since I have had something from those stingy witches." Govad looked at the package with approval.

"If I had known you had a guest, I would have brought more." Ariel looked meaningfully at the place where Abaddon had been seated, not too long ago.

Something passed over Govad's eyes, but he did not show any other reaction to the question.

"That was just a passer-by coming to freeload. You know how people love popping in for free food and drinks." He sighed dramatically. "It is truly a burden being the host of the millennium."

Ariel's eyes narrowed a little at the perfunctory response. She did not believe that a random passer-by would have the pleasure of drinking with both Govad and Samiel through the night. She turned to Samiel, but he had his usual nonchalant face.

She felt like there was an unspoken secret, but she did not want to question too much.

"As long as I am still your favourite third wheel!" She laughed.

Govad stood. "Always. How about we all convene in my suite while this place is cleaned out?"

Ariel did not protest.

"Go on ahead. I will join you in a few minutes." Samiel stood up and stretched out his wings.

When the two people left the room, Samiel walked to his lab and found the box with the damaged black feathers. He had put them away with care but he had not destroyed them because he had not imagined that someone else would come to visit his humble abode.

He picked a feather with slightly singed edges and his eyes shone with interest.

He had an urge to return to Farallon City to find out more about this girl and how she had managed to get the King injured.

After a night of mindless drinking and conversation, he had a hunch about the reason a lightning strike which should have been a simple tickle had harmed the most powerful demi-angel.

His lips lifted in a smile, and he placed the feather back into the box. He waved his hand and the feathers in the box started corroding until nothing was left.

"What a shame!" He sighed.

Those feathers would have been expensive talismans for at least three-quarters of the women in Panthalassa. He could have sold them at a high price.

But no one could know that their invincible King had been injured.

He tidied the lab before going to Govad's suite.

The two demi-angels were already laughing as attendants placed breakfast items on the dining table. They had already opened the jar of the 'gift' and poured the witch's brew in small sake bowls.

"You should not be drinking in the morning." Samiel could already smell the strong brew.

"Don't be a buzzkill, Sammy." Ariel waved cheerfully.

"Yes! In the mainland, they call this brunch." Govad echoed. "Come, have a sniff. This is really good stuff. Izanagi people know how to party, unlike your Farallon."

Samiel felt helpless, but he still joined them.

They lifted a bowl and drank from it.

"Speaking of which, we are three Counsellors from each country of Panthalassa. We can totally take over the continent if we wanted." Ariel said as she put down her bowl.

Govad laughed. "The fact that we are drinking in the morning instead of being in our respective Order offices says that the mission would be over before it started."

Ariel giggled. "True. But come on, we are unstoppable. With your wind and waves power, my control of all water and Samiel's poison, we are like gods."

"Talk to me when you can face the king without feeling like a guilty schoolgirl." Govad poured more of the brew into the bowls.

Samiel's deep eyes rested on Ariel before turning away with a smile.

No one knew what he was thinking.